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The Phillies Are a Complete Mess Right Now

May 31, 2022
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You have to hand it to the Phillies.

They’ve lost 11 of their last 15 games. They’re a season-worst seven games under .500. In fact, they’re seven games under .500 for the first time since 2017.

But hey, at least they are a model of consistency right now.

For the third time in seven days, the Phillies received a dramatic late-game homer and promptly wasted it, turning a potentially revitalizing win into yet another dreadful loss.

Though there’s plenty of blame to go around following the latest meltdown, Andrew Bellatti was the primary offender this time around.

That’s sticking to the script.

You probably don’t care about the specifics of the Phillies’ 5-4 loss to the Giants, but if you’re here, you probably do care about the big-picture implications of a simply disastrous run of baseball that continues for at least one more day.

So, let’s get right to it.

Joe Girardi Job Watch

It’s virtually impossible to talk about the current state of the Phillies without discussing Joe Girardi’s job status, so let’s begin there.

It’s convenient to point the finger at a manager or coach when things aren’t going well, especially when things aren’t going well in the wake of early great expectations.

Obviously, you know Girardi can’t catch the baseball, finish games for his $10 million closer, or swing the bat for a collection of pricey hitters, many of whom have underperformed to stunning depths.

Is it his fault that several of his top hitters are struggling, that his team features the game’s worst corner outfield defense, or that his bullpen remains multiple competent arms short?

Of course not.

But here’s the thing — not even the most pessimistic projection of the 2022 Phillies had this team at 21-28 after 49 games, an almost unthinkable 11 games off the division lead following their latest gut-punch loss.

Right now, Girardi is a man without any answers for what ails his team. Almost every button he (in collaboration with his staff and the club’s other decision-makers) has pressed in recent weeks has backfired and backfired spectacularly so.

Whether it was failing to keep his foot on the gas by turning to reliever Nick Nelson for a second inning with a late lead last Tuesday in Atlanta, going to Bailey Falter for round one of a critical series with the Mets, or any of the head-scratchers in between, too many of his decisions have not panned out.

But it’s more than picking apart questionable decisions. It’s that such decisions have become emblematic of what feels like a recurring multi-year absence of urgency or energy or something from this team. His team. And for that, he deserves plenty of criticism and blame.

With former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler in town this week, it’s worth noting the Phillies decided to part ways with him back in October 2019 after he compiled a .497 winning percentage over two seasons.

Girardi has posted a .483 in two-plus seasons, so make of that what you will.

A New Issue

I touched on it above, but a lot of time was spent last week discussing how Girardi passed on closer Corey Knebel to protect a one-run lead in the second game of the Braves series.

In fairness to Girardi, it’s not as if Knebel has been lights-out.

Less than 24 hours after blowing a save against the Mets, Knebel again came up short, this time allowing a go-ahead solo shot to Evan Longoria that broke a 2-2 tie.

In almost any other year, any normal year of mediocre baseball, Knebel’s status as the team’s closer would be the hot topic of conversation.

This season? With this team? Just add it to the list.

In 12 appearances this month, Knebel has pitched to a 5.40 ERA with a 1.63 WHIP. He’s blown three of his seven save opportunities.

While Girardi reiterated belief in his current closer after Knebel’s latest setback, Seranthony Dominguez has been better by almost every measure. Take your pick: ERA, K/9, B/99, WHIP.

Something to think about.

I Have to Write Something Positive, So Here

Nick Castellanos has had a rough go of it for most of this month, but it appears he may be finally turning a corner.

He homered for the second time in as many at-bats when he launched a first-pitch second-inning fastball from Giants starter Logan Webb into the left field seats.

And yes, his latest deep drive to left came at an awkward time on the broadcast, perhaps signaling he’s finally rounding back into form:

If you needed any proof that Twitter loves itself a good meme, the above video had 207,000 views within 37 minutes of Brodes Media hitting send.

As for Castellanos, after enduring a 2-for-18 stretch against the Braves last week, he has rebounded with seven hits in his last 17 at-bats, three of which have gone for extra bases.

The Pressure Will Be on Mickey Moniak

In a perfect world, 24-year-old Mickey Moniak would work his way back from injury by taking down an occasional start while slotting in at the bottom of a potent lineup, but the Phillies’ world is an imperfect one.

So instead, Moniak, who missed nearly eight weeks after suffering a broken wrist on April 6, returns at a time when his freefalling team is in desperate need of a spark.

Many fans, of course, have tempered their expectations for a player who has six hits in 51 career at-bats.

Prior to the game, Girardi indicated Moniak will see the bulk of playing time in center.

Behind a .378 batting average and a barrage of extra-base hits, he impressed during spring training. He then picked up where he left off in eight rehab appearances this month, going 13-for-33.

The Phillies will hope he can provide a jolt to a position that has produced just a .216 batting average and .626 OPS without him in the lineup.

Things got off to an inauspicious start for Moniak, however, who went 0-for-4 in his season debut. He struck out three times, including twice in his first two at-bats which produced five total swings and misses.

Are You Really Surprised?

The Phillies seem to be good for at least one simply brutal defensive play per game lately, so it’s really no wonder they returned home Monday to face the Giants dead last in defensive runs saved at -24, according to FanGraphs.

The Giants (-21) are currently in the same ballpark (literally and figuratively), while the Phillies are easily outpacing other defensively challenged teams like the Athletics (-18) and Nationals (-12) by a wide margin.

Then again, to know the Phillies’ bad defense is to simply watch them play.

You don’t need defensive runs saved, what you need is a beer.

Hitting Isn’t Contagious

You shouldn’t be surprised that a bad defensive team is playing bad defense, but it’s fair to be surprised by the Phillies’ inconsistent-at-best offensive output this season.

Numbers can be deceiving, and in the case of the Phillies, some key numbers don’t tell the whole story.

They entered play Monday with a .716 OPS, good for MLB’s 10th best mark. Not bad — nor is their 4.5 runs per game and .246 team batting average. Both numbers put the Phillies in baseball’s top 10 of both categories.

Look a little deeper, though, and the shine quickly comes off the numbers:

  • The Phillies have scored three or fewer runs in 17 of their 49 games (34.7%). They’ve plated two runs or fewer in 12 of 49 games (24.5%).
  • Here’s a look at how some prominent Phillies stacked up over the past 14 days heading into play Monday: Jean Segura (.490), Alec Bohm (.505), Rhys Hoskins (.490), Kyle Schwarber (.587), Nick Castellanos (.571). In the midst of a key stretch, several important players have gone ice cold, altogether, all at the same time.

Still, the best way to capture the essence of the Phillies’ offensive woes is this: Odúbel Herrera (.792) maintains the second-best OPS of any Phillies regular.

That’s not going to work for any team looking to play competitive baseball, particularly one that has gone all-in for offense.

Kapler, Girardi and the National Anthem

Kapler made headlines last week when he announced he would stay in the clubhouse for the national anthem because of his concerns over gun control issues and the direction of the country, but he took a break from his protest before Monday’s game.

He wrote about his temporary change of heart for Memorial Day on his personal blog:

Today, I’ll be standing for the anthem. While I believe strongly in the right to protest and the importance of doing so, I also believe strongly in honoring and mourning our country’s service men and women who fought and died for that right. Those who serve in our military, and especially those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and freedoms, deserve that acknowledgment and respect, and I am honored to stand on the line today to show mine.

Girardi was asked beforehand for his thoughts on Kapler’s initial decision, and I’d say the response was a bit icy.

Thanks to Phillies Nation editorial director Tim Kelly for transcribing Girardi’s comments:

The post The Phillies Are a Complete Mess Right Now appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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